The Dark at the End

7

“What the hell?”

Anxiety nibbled at Jack as he jabbed the END button and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat.

Where was everybody? No answer from either Weezy or Dawn. Not good. Not good at all. All they had to do was sit tight in that house and watch from the window. What was so hard about that? Had the goddamn O’Donnells come back from Florida and found their home invaded? What? What?

His phone rang. He grabbed it. The display showed a number he didn’t recognize. He thumbed SEND. He’d take a call from anyone right now.

“Yeah.”

“Jack, it’s me.” Weezy’s voice. “Where are you?”

“Just about to the Nuckateague turnoff. Where are you?”

“In a garage in Amagansett.”

“What? How the hell-?”

“Long story. The Jeep got towed. I can’t get it back because it’s rented under your name. A complete mess.”

Well, rented under his Tyleski name. He’d been ready to deep-six that identity anyway. No arguing about the mess, though. He looked ahead for a place to make a U-turn.

“I’ll come get you and-”

“No. Check the house first. I can’t get hold of Dawn.”

“Neither can I.”

“I’m worried.”

“Makes two of us. I hope she didn’t do anything stupid. You were supposed to keep an eye on her.”

“I know, I know. But I saw the lights of the tow truck. I figured I’d be right back-”

“I’m turning into Nuckateague. Stay by that phone.”

“I’ll keep trying Dawn.”

He hit the END button and made the turn.

Okay, how to play this? His initial plan had been to find another empty garage farther down the street to hide the Crown Vic and its armamentarium. To reach that house, whichever one it was, required him to drive by the O’Donnell place.

So that was what he’d do… and hope everything was as he’d left it. He shook his head as foreboding thickened around him like a fog.

Fat chance.

This was why he worked alone.